KL Rahul vs Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant vs Dhurv Jurel: The Big India Test Squad Selection Battles In Duleep Trophy 2024

The 2024/25 Indian domestic season will kick off on Thursday (September 5) with the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The opening match will see four teams selected from India’s best red-ball cricketers take on each other. On the opening day, India A will take on India B at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while India C and India D will lock horns at Anantapur.

While figures like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra JadejaMohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami are missing, most of India’s top talents are in action with the national team on a rare extended break.

The Indian team was last in action in an ODI match on August 7 and will return to the field on September 19 in Chennai against Bangladesh.

Selection for the series is likely to come after the first round of matches, and so many players face auditioning to be part of the squad and playing XI against Bangladesh, which will kick off a busy Test summer that will see India then host New Zealand and travel to Australia for a blockbuster five-match Test series.

Key battles for India’s Test team

KL Rahul against Sarfaraz Khan against Rajat Patidar against Shreyas Iyer – After being dropped from the Test squad during the home series against Australia, Rahul was given a second chance as a wicket-keeper batsman. Batting in the middle order, Rahul impressed with a stunning century against South Africa. Later, he was taken off wicket-keeping duties and played as a specialist batsman against England.

After an impressive knock of 86 in the first Test at Hyderabad, Rahul has been involved in the last four Tests due to injury. In his absence, Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan have made their debuts and impressed. Sarfaraz has scored three half-centuries in three Tests and is in direct competition for the number five spot with Rahul. Patidar has struggled to get runs but remains one of the best red-ball batsmen in domestic cricket and could find a place in the team if he shows some form.

Rahul and Sarfaraz will be the focus of the selectors and the team management as there is a vacant spot in the starting XI. A big setback from either of them could see them get the nod, and a failure could see them fall behind in the race.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer lost his place in the Test squad and his BCCI central contract during the Test series against England; it was not long ago that the team bet on him as a long-term replacement for Ajinkya Rahane and his good performances in the Duleep Trophy could see him back into the scheme of things. His appointment as captain of India’s D team shows that the selectors have faith in him despite the events earlier in the year.

RISHABH PANTS against Dhruv Jurel: The selection of Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel as India’s two wicket-keeper batsmen remains certain, the race to be in the starting XI remains wide open. While Pant has already established himself as arguably India’s best wicket-keeper batsman in the history of Test cricket, he has not played any red-ball cricket for 21 months. If Pant’s struggles to get white-ball runs extend into the longer format, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir might have a decision to make.

Dhruv Jurel made a superb debut in the series against England, which included heroic knocks in both innings of India’s memorable victory in the Ranchi Test. Jurel did more than enough to secure his place in the national team and if he proves his form in the Duleep Trophy, he could retain his place in the starting XI.

Arshdeep Singh vs. Khaleel Ahmed vs. Prasidh Krishna vs. Akash Deep vs. Avesh Khan vs. Mukesh Kumar:

India have three of the best red-ball players in their ranks in Test cricket, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj leading the race. However, the pecking order after them remains a mystery, after the likes of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav lost their spots.

Over the next year, India is scheduled to play five Test matches in Australia in a six-week interval, and a few months later fly to England to probably play six Test matches (WTC final + Test series against England) in less than two months.

India have the chance to record historic wins in both countries, but their fast bowling department will be key. However, it will not be possible for Bumrah, Siraj and Shami to play all the Tests in both tours in such a short time. Hence, the strength of the bench will be key.

With India looking for backup options, the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep have a golden opportunity to cement their place in the squads, while Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh could make their Test debuts soon if they impress in the Duleep Trophy.

India’s star trio are likely to miss a few matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and this gives the new generation of players a chance to impress at the international level in this period and earn a place in the flight to Australia and England.

With the race wide open, performances in the Duleep Trophy will be important in determining who makes the squad for the Bangladesh series.

Ruturaj Gaikwad vs. Abhimanyu Eashwaran vs. Devdutt Padikkal vs. Sai Sudharsan

While India has three standout players at the top in Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, there is no clarity on who their backups are at the moment. Players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Eashwaran, Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharasan have a golden opportunity to earn a spot with impressive performances in the upcoming tournament.

While Ruturaj and Easwaran have been part of the Test squad in the past and Padikkal made his debut against England in Dharamshala earlier this year, Sudharsan made two half-centuries in his first ODI outings for India.

All four are among the best red-ball cricketers domestically and will feel they deserve a place in the Test squad.